Ice crusher and elevator.



No. 894,425. PATENTED JULY 28, 1908. A. V. GULVER.

ICE GRUSHER AND ELEVATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 25, 1901.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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v 7 M i] I auvenfoz No. 894,425. PATENTED JULY 28, 1908.

- A. V. CULVER.

ICE GRUSHER AND ELEVATOR. APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 25, 1907.-

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

f7 14 in SET UNITED STATES PATENT onnron.

. ALBERT V. QULVER, OF FRAN KFORI INDIANA.

ICE cnusmm AND nrinvn'ron.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT V. CULV R, a citizen of the United States, residing .at Frankfort, in the county of Clinton and State of Indiana, have invented anew and useful Ice Crusher and Elevator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ice crushers and has for its object to rovide means for cutting cakes of ice into cu es or blocks and deliver-' ing an endless conveyer mounted for rotation therein and provided with a plurality of buckets for elevating ice from the crusher to the upper ortion of the tower from whence it 1s delivered through a spout to the refrigerator car.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utilityydurability and efficiency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the ap ended claims. 7 In t e. accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification: Figure 1 is a side elevationpartly in section of an ice crusherand elevator constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig.2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a pers ective view of the cutting table.

. Fig. 5 1s a etail perspective view of the upper portion of the conveyer. Fig. 6 is a bottom lan view of the gravity actuated-crusher. %ig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the crusher.

Similar numerals of reference indicate'corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

The improved ice crusher forming the subject matter of the present invention includes a derrick or support comprising uprights 5 Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed November 25, 1907. Serial No. 403,793.

' Patented July 28, 1908.

and 6 having their upper ends united by a transverse beam 7 and their lower ends anchored in any suitable" manner to the ground, as shown. Secured to the inner aces of the uprights '5 and 6 are longitudinal guide strips 8 between which is slidably mounted a gravity actuating crushing element or weight 9. The weight 9 is provided with oppositely disposed rooves 10 for the reception of the stu s 8 t ere b .to revent lateral movement 0 said weig t W on the crusher is operated.

Secured to the upper portion of the weight 9 is one end of a cable or other flexible medium 1 1, the o posite end of which passes over a pulley 12 diepending from the transverse beam 7 and is extended downwardly for attachment to a reel or drum 13. The reel or drum 13 is mounted for rotation in suitable supporting brackets 14 and is provided with a terminal pinion 15 which meshes with the teeth of a mutilated master gear 16.

The master gear 16 is journaledin suitable. brackets 17 similar in construction to the brackets 14 and-is so arranged that when the teeth 18 engage the teeth of the pinion 15 the weight 9 will be moved to elevated position, said. weight dropping by gravity to owered or operative position when the Inutilated portion of the master gear registers with sald pinion. Secured to or formed in-.

tegral with the master gear 16 is a pulley 19 carrying a belt 20 which extends to a motor, engine or other suitable source of power for rotating the master gear thereby to elevate the crushing element or weight 9.

Disposed between the uprights 5 and 6 at the base of the derrick is a cutting table 21, adapted to receive and support the block or blocks of ice to be out or severed. The table 21 is provided with a plurality of intersecting longitudinal and transverse blades22 having terminal cutting edges 23 which cut or sever the ice and force the latter through intermediate openings 24 into a chute 25. The chute 25 is inclined downwardly and empties into a substantially semi-circular trough 26 in which are mountedsuitable spro cket wheels-27.

Arranged in spaced relation to. the derrick is a tower 28, the walls of which are preferablyreinforced' and packed with saw-dust, asbestos or other non-conducting material so as to prevent melting of the ice. Extending transversely across the storage house or tower is an inclined platform 29 adapted to receive the crushed ice from the buckets 29 of an endless conveyor 30. The endless conveyer 30 is provided with sprocket chains 31 which engage the sprocket wheels 27 and also engage spaced sprocket wheels 32 and 33 mounted for rotation in the tower above the platform 29, as shown. The sprocket wheel 33 is preferably arranged slightly in advance oft e sprocket wheel 32 so that as the conveyer carrying the buckets 29 travels over the forward s rocket wheel 33 the ice in said buckets wil fall by gravity onto the platform 29 and in position to be delivered to the car 34. The buckets 29'.may beof any suitable construction and in the present instance are shown substantially triangular in shape, and each 1provided with a drip opening 35 to permit t 'e escape of water during the ascent of said buckets.

Formed in one wall of the tower at a point adjacent the platform 29 are spaced vertically disposed guides 36 in which is mounted for vertical movement a sliding door or closure 37. Secured to the door 37 is a rope or cable 39 which passes over a ulley 40 preferably arranged on the outsi e of the tower so that the operatorby exerting a longitudie 'nal pull on the free end of the cable 39 may move the door to open position to permit the discharge of ice from the inclined platform.

Pivotally mounted at 41 beneath the platform 29 is a discharge spout 42 through which the ice is delivered into the different compartments of the refrigerator car 34, there being a rope or cable, 43 secured to the spout for raising and lowering the same, as shown.

The inclined latform 29 is preferably formed of space timbers between which is interposed a packing of asbestos or saw-dust so as to maintain the upper compartment 44 of the tower at the proper temperature.

Keyed or otherwise rigidly secured to the shaft 45 of the master gear 16- is a sprocket wheel 46 carrying a sprocket chain 47 which latter engages a sprocket wheel 48 mounted on the lower shaft 49 of the conveyer thereby to impart movement from the crusher to said conveyer.

The derrick or sup ort of the crushing mechanism is reinforced and stren thened by the provision of one or more latera braces 50 which extend from the center of the transverse beam 7 and are anchored in any suitable manner to the ground. as shown.

In order to insure a good contact with the ice and prevent the latter from slipping off the table during the crushing operation the lower face of the weight 9 is corrugated the belt 20 t0 the master gear 16.

transversely at 51, as best shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. A box or receptacle 52 also preferably surrounds the cutting table 21 in order to prevent the chips of ice from being thrown laterally when the ice is bein cut.

In operation a block of ice is place on the table 21 after which the engine or motor. is started thus transmitting motion through As t e master gear 16 rotates the teeth 18 will engage the teeth on the pinion 15 and elevate the crushing element or weight 9 and at the same time through the medium of the sprocket chain 47 impart movement to the conveyer. When the mutilated portion of the master ear 16 registers with the pinion 15, the weig t 9 will'drop by gravity in contact with the ice thus cutting the latter into cubes or blocks which fall through the compartments 24 into the chute 25 and thence to the trough 26 where they are taken up by the buckets of the conveyor and delivered to the inclined platform 29 of the tower. When it is desired to deliver crushed ice from the' compartment 44 to the refrigerator car the I spout 42 is positioned in the car and the door' 37 raised to elevated position thus permitting the ice to pass through the spout into the refrigerator compartment of said car, as

will be readily understood.

- From the foregoing description it is thought that the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood by those skilled in the art and further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

Havin thus described the invention what is claims is:

The combination with a support, of a cutting table disposed at the base of the support and formed with intersecting blades, a chute arranged beneath the cutting table, a gravity actuated crushing element slidably mounted on the support and provided with a roughened crushing surface, a winding drum, a pinion secured to the drum, a flexible connection between the winding drum and crushing element, a mutilated gear adapted,

to engage the teeth on the pinion for intermittent y elevating the crushing element, and means for rotatin the gear.

In testimony that claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT v. CULVER Witnesses:

FRED HACKERD, GEORGE W. BROWN. 

